Turn signaling switch for motor vehicles



June l2, 1951 J. KAuPER-r 2,556,427

TURN SIGNALING SWITCH FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Original Filed April 1, 1947 Sgt I Ma

VI//III/Il IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIL lf/l( J INVENTOR.

Patented June 12, 1951 TURN SIGNALING SWITCH FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Joseph Kaupert, Chicago, Ill.

substituted for application Serial No. 738,631, April 1, 1947. This application March 13, 1950,

Serial No. 149,376

2 Claims.

This application is a substitute of application Serial No. 738,531, led April l, 1947, and now abandoned.

This invention relates to signalling devices for vehicles for enabling the driver to indicate in advance a turn of the Vehicle toward either the right or the left, and it has for its object the provision of a new and improved form and arrangement of parts in a device of this type, and particularly to provide an improved arrangement whereby the operating parts may be automatically returned to neutral inoperative position by a delayed action for terminating a signal indication'following a manual manipulation of the parts for initiating such signal. It is one of the objects of the invention to provide an improved arrangement of this type comprising a lever or handle which may be given a stroke manually toward either side` of the vehicle from an intermediate neutral cr inoperative position for indicating a turn of the vehicle toward that side, together with means for automatically bringing such lever or handle back to its neutral position by a delayed action following the release of the lever in displaced position.

It is another object of the invention to improve devices of this type in sundry details hereinafter pointed out. The preferred means by which I have accomplished my several objects are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the steering column of an automobile provided with the control mechanism of my improved device.

Fig. '2 is a horizontal sectional view on an enlarged scale through the control mechanism of Fig. 1, being substantially a section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 3.

Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional Views taken substantially at the lines 3-3 and Il-ll respectively, in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the co1..- plete system of cooperating parts by which my objects have been accomplished.

Referring now to the several gures of the drawing, in which corresponding parts are indicated by the same reference characters, It indicates the steering column of an automobile, having a supporting member in the form of a casing iI secured thereon a short distance below the usual steering wheel I2. As shown in Fig. 2, the casing i I is secured in position on the column I by means of a keeper bar I3 tightened in position by means of machine screws I4.

At opposite side portions of the casing II, two lugs I and I6 are provided, having flexible con- 2 ductor strips I'I, I8, I9 and 20 mounted thereon in insulated relationship to each other, the strips I'I and 2G being provided with contact members 2i thereon in position to provide effective electrical connection of said strips iI and 2E! with the strips IB and I9, respectively, when the strips are displaced outwardly by pressure thereon as shown in connection with the strips Il and I8 in Fig. 2.

Means is provided in the casing I I between the two sets of conductor strips for applying pressure selectively on the strips at either side of the casing, cr adapted alternatively to stand in a neutral inoperative intermediate position. This means comprises in effect a dash-pot arrangement including a cylinder member 22 pivotally mounted at one end by means or a machine screw 23 passing through an ear 24 on the cylinder into a lug 25 carried by the casing I I. Within the cylinder, there is a piston 25 mounted on the end of a bar 21 which passes through a head member 23 in the form of a cup and a straight plate member 29 of porcelain or other suitable insulation material which extends outwardly a short distance beyond the wall of the cylinder at points opposite to the conductor strips I8 and I9. The outer end of the bar 2l pivotally connected with the inner end portion of an operating handle or lever 3S pivotally mounted by means of a machine screw 3! on a portion oi the casing II. Pins 32 and 33 serve to limit the swinging movement of the handle or lever A coiled spring 34 mounted on the bar 2l between the piston 2t and the head member 28 serves by pressure on the piston normally to hold the piston at the limit of its movement toward the adjacent end of the cylinder so as to hold the bar 2'! and the lever 3f) in alined positions with respect to each other in the positions as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. The spring 34 is of such strength that it acts normally to bring the bar Z'I and the lever 30 into alined positions at any time when they are free to move after having been displaced from their normal aline ment with each other.

As will be appreciated from an examination of Fig. 2, the piston 26 is arranged for permitting the air in the cylinder freely and easily to pass the piston when the piston is moved toward the head member 28 but for preventing the air from passing the piston when the piston is moved along the cylinder in the opposite direction by the action of the spring 34. Ports 35 and 36 are provided in the head members 28 and 29 for permitting air to enter the cylinder when the piston is moved along the cylinder in the direction away from the head member 28. A drain vent is also provided in the wall of the cylinder 22, comprising a conical port 31 adapted to be closed to an adjustable extent by means of a screw 33 having a tapered end portion tting into the port. By an adjustment of the screw 38, the rate of escape of air through the port 3l can be controlled for regulating the period of time required for the movement of the piston in the direction away from the head 28 by the spring 3d for bringing the bar 21 and the lever 30 into alinement.

Referring now to Fig. 5, it will be seen that the conductor strips I3 and I9 are connected by electric circuit means 39 with one side of a-storage battery 4Q, the other .side ,of which is 4connected with a suitable ground at 4I. The conductor strip I1 is connected by circuit means 42 with electric lamps 43 mounted on the license plates 44 and 45 of the vehicle at the end portions of the plates disposed toward the left side of the vehicle. The conductor 2t is connected by circuit means 46 with electric lamps 4lmounted on said license plates 44 and 45 at the end portions of such plates disposed toward the right side ci the vehicle. It will be noted that all four of the lamps 43 and 4l are also grounded at 48 for completing the several circuits preferably through the frame of the vehicle to the battery 4U.

It is believed that the operation of my improved device will be understood without extensive explanation. When the driver of the vehicle is about to turn left, he movesthe handle or lever 30 toward the left into the position as shown in solid lines in Fig. 2 for moving the cylinder 22 toward the right, considering that the Vehicle is moving forwardly toward the left-hand margin kkof the drawing as shown in said Fig. 2. This movement of the lever and cylinder serves to press the conductor strips i8 and I7 toward the right into effective electrical engagement with each other, serving to connect the battery 4@ with the lamps 43 through the circuit means S9, said conductor strips iS and il, the circuit means 42, and the grounds d8 and 4l, so as to cause such lamps 43 to be illuminated at the side of the vehicle at the left of the driver.

When the vehicle is to be given a right turn, the driver moves the handle or lever 353 toward the right so as to move the cylinder 22 toward the left for pressing the conductor strips i9 and 2 into effective electrical engagement with each other. This serves to connect the battery 4D with the lamps 41 through the circuit means 39, said conductor strips I9 and 20, the circuit means 45 and the grounds at 48 and 4l, so as to cause such lamps 4l to be illuminated at the side of the vehicle at the right of the driver.

With the lever or handle 3l] moved manually to the limit of its motion toward either the left or the right and there released, the return movement of the lever under the inuence of the spring 34 is controlled by the effective size of the opening through theport 3l as regulated by the adjustment of the screw 38. With the opening between said screw 38 and the wall of the port adjusted to a small size, the escape of the air from the cylinder will be slow and the action of the spring in returning the operating parts to their neutral intermediate positions will be correspondingly delayed. In case the lever 3e should be moved toward the left so as to cause the lamps 43 to be energized and illuminated, and the driver should then realize that he desired to make a right turn rather than a left turn, the

.lever could be immediately moved to the limit of its motion toward the right so as to disconnect the lamps 43 and eiect the desired connection through the lamps 41, the operation after such procedure being the same as if the lever had been moved toward theright initially.

While'I prefer to employ the form and arrangement of parts as shown by the drawing and as above described, the invention is not to be limited to such form and arrangement except so far as the same may be specifically claimed, it being understood that changes might well be made in the arrangement without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a switching device for vehicle signalling arrangements, the combination of a supporting base, a dash-pot cylinder svvingingly mounted on said base, so as to be movable transversely thereon, and having an outlet port opening therefrom, a piston slidably mounted in said cylinder adapted upon a stroke in one direction to force air out through said outlet port, adjustable means for controlling the escape `of air through said outlet port andadapted thus to regulate said stroke ofisaid piston, a bar connected with said piston, a second bar .-pivotally mounted at an intermediate point on said base and pivotally connected at one end portion with said iirstnamed bar, yielding means normally pressing said piston in the direction for forcing air outwardly through said outlet port and serving by its action normally to hold said bars in alined position with respect to each other with the cylinder in an intermediate centered position, and two electric switch devices at opposite sides of said cylinder both adapted to remain open when the cylinder is in its centered intermediate position and adapted to be closed alternatively by movement of the cylinder toward one side or the other.

2. A switching device as specified by claim 1, in which the switch at each side of the cylinder comprises two flexible conductor strips adapted when the cylinder is in its centered intermediate position to stand in spaced relationship to each other with the switch open, and adapted when the cylinder is given an operative stroke laterally toward that switch to be brought into operative engagement with each other for closing the switch.

JOSEPH KAUPERT.

No references cited. 

